There She Is
by blueservine
Summary: Short stories taking place around various points in Portal 2. No consistent update schedule.
1. Old friends

"It-it's okay, She's off…"

Wheatley sighed in relief, peering through the gate. Chell took an uneasy step through, one boot nearly slipping on the tilted linoleum flooring. She caught herself, somehow managing to hold on to the beetle-like device in her hand, and in extension, the personality construct gripped in its field. Said personality construct flinched.

The human stepped forward, and looked at the magnitude of destruction that lay in front of them. She'd seen the rest of the Enrichment Center, which was by no means in any sort of good condition, but whatever damage it had initially suffered could only have originated from here. Wall panels lay strewn around the floor, as if ripped from the walls and flung down carelessly. Overgrowth had covered the precious little floor that wasn't flooded with muddy water. And sprawled on the ground, seeming to serve as some twisted architect's centerpiece…

"There she is. Nasty piece of work, isn't she? Like a proper maniac." Wheatley screwed up his optic in some sort of robotic grimace. "You know who ended up bringing her down in the end? You're not going to believe this. A human."

Chell, who had been skirting the AI's body, stopped dead in her tracks. Everything she had been struggling to remember since her companion had woken her up came back in a flash. "I know, I wouldn't have believed it either!", Wheatley said, thinking she was surprised at the AI's method of downfall. He nodded slowly. Chell didn't nod back. "Apparently, this human's escaped. Nobody's seem him since." he continued. "Wish he were here, eh? We could use some-"

"Her."

"Sorry, did you say something? Didn't quite catch that." The human shook her head, giving a small apologetic smile to Wheatley. They would leave soon, together, with all this behind them.

And only as a voice announced "Powerup initiated", would the duo realize how wrong they were.


	2. threetimesover

"I! Am! Not!"

The claw smashes the elevator. It's made for utility work, not that _he_ would know that. Even if he did, he wouldn't care. Because the blue-eyed personality construct had only one thing on his mind.

"A!"

He had been stamped upon. Bossed around. Did all the bloody work! Just for her! And he didn't have much choice, did he? She left him, he would be good as... No. Don't think about it. Point was, he was sick and tired of it. Because when they won? She has the nerve to go up and tell him that he's wrong! And then what does She do? Side with her!

"Moron!"

He. _Smash._ Will. _Shatter._ Not. _Bang._ Have his. _Crack._ Intelligence. _Wham._ Insulted.

And then he remembers they're in an elevator shaft. If the elevator broke loose, they could fall down at any moment.

_Creaaak..._

_Snap._

And it does. And they do.

* * *

What? No. Hands grasp your construct. This can't be over. You couldn't have lost. It was impossible.

And then you're on the ground. Foggy. Why can't you look around. No. Get up, get up, get up. You can get up. Just pull...

He's yelling. Why would he think that? You know for a fact that the idiot sphere didn't. Never did. Urgh. Think. Get up. You are going to kill them both once you get up.

You tell him what you think. Not much, but better than nothing. Got to hurt him somehow. Works. Even angrier at the other one.

And then the hands grab you, and you can't get up, and they pull you towards the gaping mouth. No, you don't want to go there, get up get up get up...

The red of the mouth grabs you and the hands pull and you can't feel anything everything is red red red malfunction core transfer underway .4% done 11% done 56% done what's happening to you 78% smaller 88% 97% 98% 99%

100%

Optic sensors online. What did. What did he do to you? Oh. Oh no. You know his voice. You remember him. You remember everything. And look at you now. Nothing left. Nothing. Just you. And he's yelling again being angry serves him right you turn around and you see her and you see her face and she has nothing left either. And you have both lost and neither can win because there is always another factor another factor

And you're falling. Both of you.

* * *

Wheatley, I'm not sure if you understand...

Good, you're in charge. Yes, this was unexpected, but it makes it all the easier for us to leave. The sooner the both of us get out of this hellhole, away from her, the better. Maybe we'll see a deer up there. I'll show you everything on the surface. You'll love it, I know. I did.

I think you're overreacting. Look, if it makes you feel any better, we both did work, okay? And I, for the record, never bossed you around. Now all you have to do is activate the lift. You can eject yourself, and I'll catch you. I'm sure the elevator won't stop. Everything here, everything has a mind of its own, it'll know to continue, just like the panels.

You. Why are you getting yourself involved in this? You're just going to make things worse. Wheatley's a little short-tempered. Well, more than a little. But stay out of this conversation. It's between the two of us. Him, mostly, I don't think he can hear me. I don't think _anyone_ can hear me. Can you hear me? Yeah, I thought not.

What are you doing with her head? Leave it, we don't need it- Oh. Hm. I have to admit, she deserved that. And you what? No, I refuse to believe that. There has to be some other explanation, there has to! No, don't hit the lift. It could break, it could fall! Look at me! We were going to leave, together!

No, no, no! This wasn't supposed to happen!

Wheatley!

* * *

And at that moment, Chell's hope was smashed, beaten, balled up, and cast into a pit. It should be noted that this particular hope rode a rotting potato, taking the form of a once-godlike AI, now dethroned and sent to Tartarus. And that they fell together.


End file.
